Report: Carlos Boozer drawing interest from Spurs, 3 other teams
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For those big-dreaming teams that ultimately whiff on their prime targets in free agency, there are always the second- and third- and sometimes fourth-tier guys lying in wait, unsigned consolation prizes there to be had.
Carlos Boozer, surprisingly, may not be one of them. The 33-year-old free-agent power forward, who spent the past season with the Los Angeles Lakers, has reportedly drawn interest from several teams, the Lakers and their Staples Center co-habs included.
Carlos Boozer has received interest today from Spurs, Lakers, Heat and Clippers, sources told ESPN.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) July 1, 2015
Boozer, a two-time All-Star, has been much-maligned over the past several seasons - for his outsized (former) contract, deteriorating skills, shoddy defense, and propensity for unnecessary yelling, among other things - but he's still got plenty of game left, and could help a quality team in limited minutes off the bench. He averaged 11.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game with an above-average 16.4 PER with the Lakers last season.
The San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers are both particularly intriguing options. The Spurs will end up with a handful of free frontcourt minutes if they can't lure LaMarcus Aldridge, as they shipped center Tiago Splitter to the Atlanta Hawks for virtually nothing simply to free up space for a potential deal.
The Clippers, meanwhile, haven't been able to cobble together any kind of respectable big man rotation off the bench; last summer's mid-level signing of Spencer Hawes went bust and Glen "Big Baby" Davis was probably their most reliable reserve big. Yipes. And things could end up looking a whole lot more dire if center DeAndre Jordan, an unrestricted free agent, opts to sign elsewhere.
Boozer would be a solid get for either team if they can sign him for something close to the veteran's minimum.